


Happily Ever After, With Dogs

by anneapocalypse



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dogs, Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Shorts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-25 22:38:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9849599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anneapocalypse/pseuds/anneapocalypse
Summary: They live. They stay together. They adopt some dogs.A collection of drabbles and shortfic about Maine and Carolina post-Freelancer. Mostly fluff.





	1. Big

**Author's Note:**

> Rating subject to change. Tags added as needed.

The dogs aren’t named after anyone. No one should have to live in a shadow, Carolina says. Everybody should get to be their own person. Even dogs.

Big is the first to lumber into their lives, a sprawling shaggy wet-nosed St. Bernard, boisterous and friendly. Named by Maine, who raises his eyebrows and makes a gesture with his hands and Carolina agrees, and the name sticks.

Big comes to them when they are still mostly failing at living some kind of civilian life in their barely-furnished one-bedroom. They buy a cheap futon which breaks the first time Maine sits on it, so they put the useless aluminum frame out in the dumpster and just spread the mattress on the floor and sit on it or lie on it. Maine and Big spread out more or less take up the whole thing and Carolina looks at them and think something about this feels right.

They might not have a real bed or any idea how to cook food that isn’t instant noodles, but they have a roof over their heads, and a dog. A dog who sits and cocks one floppy ear curiously while Maine does pushups on the floor, a dog who can run with Carolina in the chilly early mornings down quiet streets, panting joyously when they come jingling inside greeted by the comforting smell of the coffee Maine’s put on for her. 

Big takes turns sleeping on one side of them or the other, always sandwiching one of them between his big warm body and the other, and on the nights when one of them starts screaming or thrashing around in a nightmare, Big nuzzles and licks their faces until they wake up.


	2. Impact

Carolina goes to bed, gets up, drinks half a glass of water, goes back to bed, gets up again, limbs twitching and tense with a restlessness she can’t shake, aching for force, speed, impact. Even falling would be better.

Heavy footfalls in the hallway mean Maine’s followed her up this time.

He puts a hand on her shoulder. Weight, comfort, a waiting silence. She turns to him, taps a play-strike to his chest with her palm. He half-smiles, shifts his stance to ready. One, two, hands to flesh falling into familiar rhythm. Force, speed, impact.

He understands. Comfort isn’t enough.


	3. Touch

Carolina’s not sure who wakes her first, Maine or the dog. She feels Big’s wet nose nudging her face at the same moment she feels Maine’s massive bulk besides her shaking, groaning with some wordless terror.

Rolling over, Carolina rests an open palm on his back, rubbing firm circles over his shoulderblade as she says his name–quietly, then louder, her voice rough with sleep.

He starts, coming out of it, and grunts softly in awareness. Big flops on the mattress in front of Maine, Carolina moves closer at his back. Maine lets out a long sigh, relaxing into her touch.


End file.
